Biocompatible adhesives have potential for use in a large variety of medical applications including as hemostats, sealants, glues, and so forth. Surgical applications for adhesives show particular promise. For example, approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States, and one of the most common complications during hysterectomy surgeries is accidental laceration to the bladder. Current treatment for such bladder injuries is limited to sutures, which prevents proper distention of the bladder wall during filling and necessitates use of a catheter during recovery.
Surgical adhesives require bulk strength and pliability to maintain unitary construction and avoid rips and tears and also require adhesive strength to avoid leakage at the application site. Attaining a useful balance in both qualities has proven difficult, particularly when considering applications involving highly expandable tissue, such as bladder and lung applications. Although a number of tissue adhesives and sealants approved by the FDA for surgical use are currently available, none of them are suitable for application to the bladder because of inadequate strength, compliance, or biocompatibility issues.
What is needed in the art is a surgical adhesive that can exhibit high bulk strength, compliability, and high adhesive qualities.